Improving the Border Agency Cooperation
Among the OIC Member States for Facilitating Trade
54
Table 4. Key indicators related to BAC activities in the OIC member states in the Arab region
Sources: CIA World Factbook, World Bank, OECD
The average for the Customs index of World Bank’s LPI is 2.46, with the UAE having the top
score of 3.42 (25th in global rankings), and also Bahrain and Qatar score over 3. In the OECD
Trade facilitation indicators, the Arab region average for external BAC is 1.15 and for internal
cooperation 0.93. The top scorers are the UAE for external BAC and Jordan and Qatar for
internal BAC, all with the full score of 2.00. These results indicate that there is both potential
and knowledge within the Arab countries for mutual cooperation to improve BAC.
3.1.2. Regional initiatives
Gulf Cooperation Council
Perhaps the most relevant regional initiative within the Arab region is the Gulf Cooperation
Council (GCC). The GCC provides a highly relevant platform for BAC, with some best
demonstrated practices and important achievements. The Cooperation Council for the Arab
States of the Gulf, more commonly known as the Gulf Cooperation Council, is a regional
economic and political union established in 1981. It comprises six Arab states on the Persian
Gulf, namely Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The GCC has taken steps
to establish a monetary union and has launched economic projects to promote integration.
Country Group
Number of
international
agreements
affiliated
Imports per
capita (USD)
Exports per
capita (USD)
Customs
indicator /
World Bank
Logistics
Performance
Index (0-5)
Trading
Across
Borders DTF
(% points) /
World Bank
Doing
Business
study
Co-operation
– External /
OECD Trade
Facilitation
Indicators (0-
2)
Co-operation
– Internal /
OECD Trade
Facilitation
Indicators (0-
2)
Algeria Arab 10 1 509 1 517 2,71 24,15 % 0,50 1,00
Bahrain Arab 10 9 891 15 409 3,29 72,06 % data n/a data n/a
Comoros Arab 7 277 23 2,58 75,30 % 1,74 0,00
Djibouti Arab 7 1 171 157 2,20 42,64 % 0,00 0,00
Egypt Arab 11 727 285 2,85 44,92 % 1,00 0,67
Iraq Arab 7 1 220 2 266 1,98 23,51 % data n/a data n/a
Jordan Arab 13 2 486 1 033 2,60 86,73 % 1,25 2,00
Kuwait Arab 9 9 819 37 080 2,69 49,85 % 0,50 1,50
Lebanon Arab 10 3 070 612 2,29 50,61 % 0,50 0,00
Libya Arab 7 3 186 2 567 2,41 64,66 % data n/a data n/a
Mauritania Arab 8 762 630 1,92 43,08 % data n/a data n/a
Morocco Arab 14 1 208 599 data n/a 65,64 % 1,00 1,50
Oman Arab 10 8 269 16 191 2,63 79,35 % 1,74 1,00
Palestine Arab 2 data n/a data n/a data n/a data n/a data n/a data n/a
Qatar Arab 10 17 418 59 959 3,21 61,41 % 1,75 2,00
Saudi Arabia Arab 10 5 711 12 334 2,86 49,62 % 1,74 1,00
Somalia Arab 4 119 49 2,00 data n/a data n/a data n/a
Sudan Arab 10 224 120 1,87 17,50 % 1,74 0,67
Syria Arab 8 470 177 2,07 29,83 % data n/a data n/a
Tunisia Arab 12 2 120 1 526 2,02 70,50 % 0,00 1,33
UAE Arab 12 41 490 64 120 3,42 66,27 % 2,00 1,00
Yemen Arab 9 381 310 1,62 data n/a 1,74 0,33